Method for the production of aluminum

ABSTRACT

Counter-current method for producing aluminum in a reaction chamber from the reaction of aluminum trichloride and manganese including the steps of introducing manganese into an upper part of said reaction chamber, introducing aluminum trichloride into a lower part of said reaction chamber, and providing means causing said manganese and aluminum trichloride to travel in opposite directions within said reaction chamber producing a countercurrent flow of manganese with respect to aluminum chloride.

United States Patent [191 Toth METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ALUMINUM{75] Inventor: Charles Toth, Westwego La.

[73] Assignee: Applied Aluminum Research Corporation, Westwego La 1Filed: July 21, 1972 211 Appl No.: 273.700

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 86!.98]. Sept29. 1969. abandoned. which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No.692.036. Dec. 20. 1967. Pat. No 3.6|5 359Y [52] US. Cl 75/68 B [51] Int.Cl r 4 a 4 a 4 a a C22b 21/02 [58] Field of Search 75/68 B, 68 R [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.451665 [H1948 Kroll et al r r aa r r t v 75/63 Nov. 11, 1975 2.625.472 l/l953 Scheuer N 75168 83.078159 2/1963 Hollingshead et all. a 5,118 8 3137.56? 6/l964 McGeer a4 r a r r v v .a 75166 B Primary lid'uniiimr-L. Dewayne RutledgeAssistant E.\'amim'rM. J. Andrews Armrner. Agent, or FirmLane. Aitken.Dunner Lk Ziems [57] ABSTRACT 18 Claims. 6 Drawing Figures I AlCl U.S.Patant Nov. 11, 1975 Sheet2 012 3,918,960

16 52 FIG. 1.

METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ALUMINUM CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATEDAPPLICATION This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.86l.98l, filed Sept. 29, I969, which is now abandoned and which was acontinuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 692,036, filed Dec. 20,I967, which issued on Oct. 26, 1971 as U.S. Pat. No. 3,6l5,359.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The production of aluminum from the reactionof manganese with aluminum trichloride is set forth in U.S. Pat.application Ser. No. 692,036 assigned to the assignee of the presentapplication and of which the present application is acontinuation-in-part. In application Ser. No. 692,036 a process isdisclosed in which manganese is provided in a reaction chamber, such asa crucible, and aluminum trichloride is introduced into said reactionchamber under reaction conditions, intimately contacting manganese andresulting in the formation of aluminum.

In the reaction chamber the following principal reaction occurs:

2 AlCl -l- 3 Mn 3 MnCl +2 Al During the reaction, manganese is consumedwhile aluminum is produced in the reaction chamber. The reaction iscontinued until the reaction chamber contains a large amount of aluminumand a correspondingly small amount of manganese. Thus, the final productthat is produced by the method disclosed in application Ser. No. 692.036 is an aluminummanganese alloy with a high aluminum] manganeseratio.

In many applications, the final product resulting from the method ofapplication Ser. No. 692,036 is satisfactory since it is well known inthe art that manganese imparts desirable properties to aluminum. Thus,approximately 75 percent of all the aluminum sold contains 0.1 to 2percent manganese. In fact, it is common practice in the aluminum art toadd manganese to otherwise manganese-free aluminum to produce a "masteralloy." Manganese is especially desirable in an aluminum alloy to beused in extrusion products which is only one of many uses for masteralloys." However, in certain applications it is desirable to haveavailable essentially pure aluminum.

Additionally, it is desirable to be able to produce essentially purealuminum on a continuous production basis.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention, amethod for the continuous production of essentially manganese-freealuminum from the reaction of aluminum trichloride and manganese isprovided. In one important embodiment of the invention reactants arebrought into contact with one another in a counter-current manner.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a methodfor producing manganese-free aluminum from the reaction of manganese andaluminum trichloride.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus for thecontinuous production of essentially manganese-free aluminum.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a schematic diagramillustrating the counter-current operation of the process of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged diagram of the reaction zone of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram similar to FIG. 1, but also including apartial aluminum recycling system.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the melting points of aluminum-manganesealloys.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a spray tower useful in practicing theprocess of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram representing operation of the process ofthis invention with a series of countercurrent batch components.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The process of the presentinvention is illustrated schematically in FIG. I where a reactionchamber or column 10, containing a column of packing material 12, isshown. Reaction chamber I0 is comprised of conventional ceramicmaterials capable of withstanding the high temperatures normally presentduring reaction conditions. Packing material 12 is provided in thecolumn in order to increase the interfacial areas where the reactantscan contact each other and combine in accordance with the desired singlereplacement reaction. In one embodiment, the packing material is a fusedalumina. It is to be understood, however, that any packing material issuitable so long as the material is inert to the system and capable ofwithstanding the high temperatures which are normally present duringreaction conditions. In fact, a number of devices, such as bubble traysor sieve trays, can be employed in lieu of packing l2.

Substantially pure manganese is introduced into the top of the reactionchamber through conduit 16. Since the various reactions which take placethroughout the process system are stoichiometric, the amount of onesubstance present, for example, manganese, will control the amount ofother reactants which are required. Normally, manganese is fed into thereactor at a rate of about 25-300 lbs. per minute. It is to beunderstood, however, that the manganese feed rate can deviate from thisrange since as pointed out above the process involves a stoichiometricreaction.

It has been found that satisfactory results are obtained when manganeseis fed into the reactor at a pressure anywhere between atmosphericpressure and up to psig. Normally, the manganese is maintained at asufficiently high temperature (viz., l400-l 650 C.) so that themanganese is in a liquid phase at the time it enters the reactionchamber. This may be accomplished, for example, by using the residualheat in which the manganese is produced (i.e., by reduction of manganesechloride and/or manganese oxide) in order to maintain the manganese inthe liquid phase. Although reference is made to reduction furnace forreducing manganese, a simple heating furnace where substantially pure,solid manganese is heated to about 1400 C. can also be employed. It isalso possible, however, to utilize manganese as a solid by providingmeans (such as induction coils) at the top of chamber 10 which iscapable of superheating soild manganese. With superheating techniques,solid manganese may be dumped into the top of chamber from a hopper orother device, superheated and liquified. Whichever of these approachesis employed, however, since the preferred embodiment of the inventioninvolves counter-current flow the reactants should be present as fluids.

The temperature required to maintain manganese in the liquid phase isapproximately 1400 C. In order to maintain this temperature, conduit 16may be provided with heating coils (not shown). However, if the distancebetween the reduction furnace and the reaction chamber is short, suchheating coils are not required.

During the operation of the reaction chamber, the liquid manganese flowsin a downward direction as is shown in the drawing by arrows 18.Simultaneously, aluminum trichloride is introduced into chamber 10through conduit 20.

The aluminum trichloride is maintained in the gaseous phase as it entersthe column passing upward through the packing bed, as is indicated byarrows 24.

In order to maintain the aluminum trichloride as a gas, it is heated toa temperature between the ranges of 750-l 500 C. The aluminumtrichloride is fed into the reactor at a pressure between the range ofatmospheric pressure and 100 psig. The feed rate of the aluminumtrichloride is controlled by the stoichiometric requirement of thesystem but is normally between the range of -500 lbs. per minute. Thegaseous aluminum trichloride and liquid manganese flow in opposite directions, contact each other and result in the following principalreaction:

3 Mn 2 AlCl 3 MnCl, 2 Al.

By providing counter-current flow for the production of aluminum, as isshown in the drawing by arrows l8 and 24, significant advantages result.For example, at the bottom zone of chamber 10, represented in thedrawing by bracket 26, substantially pure aluminum trichloride ispresent, while at the top of chamber 10, indicated in the drawing bybracket 28, substantially pure manganese is present. During normaloperation of the cycle, the manganese-aluminum ratio decreases as themanganese travels from top to bottom and the aluminum trichloridetravels from bottom to top of the column of chamber 10. Thus, at thebottom of chamber 10, substantially pure aluminum trichloride is incontact with the reaction product, aluminum, which contains low amountsof manganese alloyed therein. The result is that at the bottom of thechamber a large amount of aluminum trichloride is available for a smallamount of manganese, a factor which tends to insure almost completereaction of manganese. Thus, the counter-current flow effectively forcesthe above reaction to an equilibrium position most favorable to theproduction of aluminum.

in order to explain further the operation of the foregoingcounter-current flow process, a reaction zone is shown in FIG. 1. (lt isto be understood that this reaction zone is included for illustrativepurposes only; the actual reaction zone is present from top to bottom ofthe column of chamber 10.) As is shown in the drawing (FIG. 2), therising aluminum trichloride contacts down-coming manganese. When amolecule of aluminum trichloride contacts a molecule of manganese, atthe reaction conditions present in the reactor, a single replacementreaction occurs yielding manganese chloride and aluminum which arerespectively a gas and a liquid at reaction conditions.

As is further shown diagrammatically in FIG. 2, the manganese chloride,since it is a gas. rise in the column, while the aluminum precipitatesdown. Normally, the process is run with an excess of aluminum chlorideover the stoichiometric amount required. Thus, both aluminum trichlorideand manganese chloride leave the top of the column via conduit 32.

The occurrence of manganese chloride and aluminum trichloride togetherin a batch operation tends to slow down the reaction, due to thepresence of one of the desired reaction products, manganese chloride.However, in the disclosed counter-current method, the high manganeseconcentration at the top of the column overcomes the otherwise harmfulequilibrium condition created by the presence of large manganesechloride concentration at the top of the column. The net result is thatthe reaction is forced in the direction of aluminum and manganesechloride at all points within the reaction chamber.

The presence of an overhead mixture of aluminum trichloride andmanganese chloride gases is not inefficient, since the two gases areeasily separated. Conduit 32 terminates at a condenser 40, whichliquefies manganese chloride by lowering the gaseous mixture to atemperature of about 760 C. The aluminum trichloride leaves condenser 40as a vapor at the top through conduit 42 and is recycled back intoconduit 20 at 44 after being compressed by compressor 41 to a pressurebetween 2-l00 psig and heated by heater 43 to a temperature betweenl000-l 500 C. Although not shown, manganese chloride can be recycled bydelivering it into a reduction furnace (for conversion to manganese) asdiscussed above.

In operation little attention need be given to the temperature ofaluminum trichloride within the chamber since the aluminum trichlorideis heated by the molten manganese as aluminum trichloride rises in thechamber. Thus, the temperature in the lower part of the reaction chambercan be maintained at a low level, at about the melting point of purealuminum (above 650 C.). Although it is possible to operate attemperatures as low as 650 C., the preferred temperature is about 900 C.which can be maintained by induction heating coils (not shown) aroundreactor 10. It is to be understood unless specified otherwise that anytemperatures given in this specification and claims are the temperatureswhich would be necessary at standard pressure (760 mm Hg).

In any embodiment of the process, it is important that both thetemperature and pressure be properly maintained so that no manganesechloride condenses within the reaction chamber.

Should manganese chloride condense within the chamber, it would leavethe reaction chamber with the aluminum and present contaminationproblems. Also, the presence of liquid manganese chloride would resultin an undesirable reverse reaction between aluminum and manganesechloride, yielding manganese and aluminum chloride or aluminummonochloride. The presence of liquid manganese chloride would result ina reverse reaction at the most undesirable point in the system; that is,at the extraction point of aluminum.

Although high pressure systems are more costly, the use of highpressures becomes economical because high pressures improve theconversion of aluminum chloride and manganese to aluminum and manganesechloride. Pressures of up to psig are employed within reactor l sincethese pressures significantly improve yields without appreciablyincreasing production costs. It is to be understood. however, that theprocess can be successfully run at normal pressure.

Aluminum is withdrawn from the reactor at 50 at a rate of between 10-100lbs. per minute depending upon the flow rates of the reactants.

The production of aluminum. in accordance with the present invention, iseasily understood by reference to the following example:

EXAMPLE 1 Liquid manganese at a temperature of about l500 C and apressure of psig is continuously fed to the top ofa packed reactor at arate of 100 lbs. per minute. The reactor is 20 feet high and consists ofa refractory lined vessel of 3 feet inside diameter packed with 1 inchdiameter ceramic alumina Raschig rings. Gaseous aluminum trichloridepreheated to about l000 C at a pressure of about 50 psig is introducedat the bottom of the tower at a rate of 200 lbs. per minute. Themanganese dichloride produced, together with unreacted aluminumtrichloride, is continuously removed from the top of the column.Approximately 20 percent (33 lbs. per minute) of the aluminumtrichloride fee passes through the tower unreacted and mixeshomogeneously with manganese dichloride. The manganese dichloride andaluminum trichloride gas mixture removed from the top of the tower ispassed through a partial condensor which cools the gas mixture to about750 C. At this temperature essentially all of the manganese dichlorideis condensed without any considerable aluminum trichloride condensation.The aluminum trichloride is compressed to about 50 psig, reheated toabout 1000 C and recycled back into the reactor. The manganesedichloride is treated in a reduction furnace to yield elementalmanganese, which is fed back into the top of the reactor. High purityaluminum is withdrawn from the bottom of the column at a rate of about33 lbs. per minute.

In lieu of the process shown schematically in FIG. I, it is alsopossible to employ a partial aluminum recycling operation which is shownin FIG. 3. The apparatus shown schematically in FIG. 3 is identical tothe apparatus shown in FIG. I except for the partial aluminum recyclingapparatus. All temperatures, pressures and flow rates are identical tothose above. In FIG. 3 the aluminum outlet is connected to a recyclingconduit 52. Thus, the reaction product, aluminum, is split into analuminum product and recirculating aluminum. Between 560 percent of theproduct is put back into the reactor as recirculating aluminum and ispumped by pump 54 through conduit 52 into manganese inlet conduit 60 ata rate of about 2-50 lbs. per minute.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the melting or freezing point ofmanganese-aluminum alloys of varying concentrations. By introducing amixture of manganese and aluminum into the top of the reaction chamber,the temperature requirements of the system are greatly reduced. Thus, asis shown in FIG. 4, it is possible to operate the system of FIG. 3 at alow temperature while maintaining the constituents as fluids by dilutingthe manganese with aluminum. As is shown in FIG. 4, however. in order tobe effective, the manganese must contain more than 20 percent aluminumby weight in order to appreciably lower the temperature below the normalmelting point of manganese, since the highest melting point of analuminum-manganese alloy (20 percent aluminum) is approximately the sameas the melting point of manganese.

In addition to lowering the temperature of the system by a partialrecycling of aluminum, an alloy flux. as is disclosed in patentapplication, Ser. No. 858,01 I. filed Sept. 15. 1969 and entitledProcess for Producing Aluminum" which issued on Jan. 30, 1973 as U.S.Pat. No. 3,713,809. can be added to manganese before it enters thereaction chamber. The addition of an alloy flux material, such asbismuth, to either manganese or an aluminum manganese alloy results inthe lowering of the freezing point of the mixture.

In addition to the methods shown in FIGS. I and 3, the invention may bepracticed by providing a spray tower. as is shown in FIG. 5. When such aspray tower is utilized the temperature, pressures and flow rates mayalso be identical to those discussed in relation to the process ofFIG. 1. In FIG. 5 a conduit 60 for introducing a stream of liquidmanganese is shown. Also provided is a nozzle head 62 for producing aspray of manganese indicated by arrows 64. Provided in the bottomsection of column 66 is conduit 68 for introducing a steady flow ofaluminum trichloride gas indicated by arrows 70. The fluids withincolumn 66 advance, contact each other and result in the formation ofaluminum by the reaction previously discussed.

In this embodiment the flow rates of reactants may deviate from the flowrates discussed in connection with the process shown in FIG. 1 in that alarge excess of aluminum trichloride (ten times the stoichiometricamount required) can be used in order to effect a substantially completereaction of the manganese.

A mixture of aluminum trichloride and manganese chloride gases exitsfrom column 66 by conduit 72. The mixture of gases is then separated bycondensing manganese chloride in the manner previously discussed. Theapparatus required is identical to that shown in FIG. 1. The aluminumtrichloride is recycled back through conduit 68 by a suitablearrangement (not shown) which also can be identical to that shown inFIG. 1. The aluminum product is extracted as a liquid from the tower at74. Since the arrangement in FIG. 5 operates as a spray tower, it ismost efficient when its height greatly exceeds its width. A 20 footcolumn has a diameter of about 4 feet. Thus, the length to width ratioshould be at least 5 to l.

The process may also be utilized by simply allowing the manganese toflow down the walls of a series of columns and thus effect the operationas a wetted-wall column, with the aluminum trichloride gas risingthrough the column in contact with the manganese.

It is also possible to utilize a series of batch components to produce acounter-current batch effect. This arrangement is shown schematically inFIG. 6. In FIG. 6 eight reactors are shown. At the start of the processliquid manganese at a temperature between l350l650 C is added to eachreactor. The amount of manganese will, of course, depend on the size ofthe reactor. Aluminum trichloride at a temperature, pressure and flowrate described for the process shown in FIG. 1 is introduced into themolten manganese by a blow pipe 82. Aluminum trichloride and manganesechloride gases are extracted at 86. A condenser 88 which is identical tocondenser 40 of FIG. I and operated at the same conditions removesmanganese chloride before the gases enter the next reactor in theserics. A compressor and heater (not shown) similar to compressor 4] andheater 43 of FIG. 1 increase the pressure of the aluminum chloride to2-l00 psig and the temperature to lO-l500 C. before entering eachreactor in the series.

For illustration, eight reactors are shown, seven of which are utilizedin series. At the start of the process the manganese in the firstreactor in the series reacts almost completely with the incomingaluminum trichloride. As the aluminum concentration builds up within thereactor, the reaction is slowed down. However, the unreacted aluminumchloride is passed into a second reactor in the series where thereaction is very efficient since the manganese concentration in thisreactor is large. This process is continued from reactor to reactor.Eventually the first reactor in the series contains an extremely highpercentage of aluminum. When this occurs, a valve (not shown) switchesoff this component and the eighth reactor is connected to the series asits last member. The second reactor then becomes the first and theprocess is operated continuously.

The production of aluminum, in accordance with the present invention, iseasily understood by reference to the following example:

EXAMPLE ll Seven, ton capacity, reactors are loaded to threefourths oftheir capacity with liquid manganese at a temperature of l500 C. Thereactors are arranged in series and connected with conduits so thatgases entering one reactor bubble through the manganese and leave thatreactor through the unfilled upper portion to bubble into the manganesein second and subsequent reactors. Gaseous aluminum trichloride at atemperature of l300 C. and a pressure of 50 psig is introduced at a flowrate of 100 lbs. per minute into the first reactor in the series. Sincethe melting point of the manganese is lowered as aluminum is formedwithin a reactor, the residual heat of the aluminum trichloride andmanganese is sufficient to maintain the component which remain in eachreactor in a liquid phase.

For about the first half hour manganese chloride leaves the first rectoras an overhead gas at the rate of about 160 lbs. per minute along withan insignificant quantity of aluminum trichloride. As the reactioncontinues the amount of manganese chloride in the overhead gas decreasesand is replaced with a corresponding amount of pure aluminumtrichloride. After about 24 hours of operation, the overhead gas in thefirst reactor is essentially lOO percent aluminum trichloride whichbubbles into the manganese in the second reactor at the rate of about100 lbs. per minute. Located between each reactor in the path of travelof the overhead gas is a condenser which cools the gaseous mixture toabout 750 C., condensing the manganese chloride portion of the gaseousmixture which is passed out of the system while allowing the aluminumtrichloride to pass on into the second and subsequent reactors as a gas.The aluminum trichloride before passing into the second and subsequentreactors is heated to about [300 C. and compressed to 50 psig. Theprocess is continued for about 24 hours whereupon the first reactor inthe series is disconnected and an eighth reactor filled with pure moltenmanganese is connected in place of the first reactor. When removed thefirst reactor contains essentially l00 percent pure aluminum. Theprocess is then operated continuously, removing and replacing reactorsas described above.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention beingindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription and all changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalencies of the claims are therefore intended to be embracedtherein.

I claim:

I. A process for the continuous production of aluminum comprising thesteps of: introducing gaseous aluminum trichloride at a bottom portionof a reaction chamber; providing manganese as liquid in an upper portionof said reaction chamber; allowing said gaseous aluminum trichloride torise and said liquid manganese to flow downwardly in said reactionchamber thereby providing counter-current flow contact between saidaluminum trichloride and said manganese within said reaction chamber;maintaining at least a portion of said reaction chamber at a temperaturesufficient to react the aluminum trichloride with the manganese to yieldliquid aluminum and gaseous manganese chloride, reacting said aluminumtrichloride gas with said liquid manganese to form substantiallymanganese-free alu minum, and recovering said substantiallymanganesefree aluminum from said reaction chamber.

2. The process in claim I, wherein the step of providing manganese as aliquid includes introducing manganese as a solid at an upper portion ofsaid reaction chamber and super-heating said solid manganese so thatliquid manganese is provided.

3. The process in claim 1, wherein the step of introducing aluminumtrichloride gas includes introducing said aluminum trichloride at about750l500C and at the rate of between about 25-500 lbs. per minute.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of providing liquidmanganese includes spraying said liquid manganese into said reactionchamber.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of providing manganeseincludes allowing the manganese to flow down the walls of said reactionchamber.

6. The process in claim 1 wherein the step of providing manganese as aliquid includes introducing manganese as a liquid at an upper portion ofsaid reaction chamber.

7. The process in claim 6, wherein the step of introducing liquidmanganese includes introducing said liquid manganese at a temperature ofabout l400-1650C and at a rate of between about 25-300 lbs. per minute.

8. The process in claim I, and further including the step ofcontinuously extracting aluminum from a bottom portion of said reactionchamber.

9. The process in claim 8, and further including the step of recycling aportion of the extracted aluminum back into the liquid manganese at anupper portion of said reaction chamber.

10. The process in claim 1, and further including the step ofwithdrawing aluminum trichloride and manganese chloride as a mixed vaporfrom said reaction chamber.

1 l. The process in claim 10, and further including the step ofcondensing the manganese chloride from said aluminum trichloride andmanganese chloride mixed vapor.

12. The process in claim 11 and further including the step of recyclingthe aluminum trichloride of said mixed vapor back into the reactionchamber.

13. The process in claim 1, wherein the step of providing manganeseincludes providing manganese as a liquid.

14. The process in claim 13, wherein the step of providing manganese asa liquid in an upper portion of a reaction chamber includes the step ofproviding a mixture of pure aluminum and manganese as said liquid.

15. The process in claim 14, wherein said pure aluminum is provided byrecycling a portion of the liquid aluminum produced in said reactionchamber.

16. A process for the continuous production of alu minum, comprising thesteps of: (a) providing a number of reactors in a series, eachcontaining a quantity of molten manganese; (b) continuously introducingaluminum trichloride gas into the manganese within the first reactor insaid series. said aluminum trichloride gas reacting with said manganese;(c) maintaining at least a portion of said reactor at a temperaturesufficient to reduce the aluminum trichloride to produce liquidaluminum, reacting said aluminum trichloride gas with said liquidmanganese to form substantially manganese-free aluminum; (d) withdrawingthe resulting manganese chloride gas and unreacted aluminum trichloridegas as a mixture from said first reactor. (e) removing said unreactedaluminum trichloride from said mixture; (f) passing said removedaluminum trichloride into the manganese within the next reactor in saidseries; (g) and continuing steps (b) (f) until the first of saidreactors contains substantially manganesefree aluminum.

17. The process in claim 16, and further including the steps of: (h)disconnecting the first reactor in said series after the reactorcontains substantially manganesefree aluminum; (i) repeating steps (b)(f) except substituting the second reactor in said series for said firstreactor; and (j) adding an additional reactor containing moltenmanganese as the last member of said series.

18. The process in claim 16, wherein step (a) includes providing each ofsaid reactors with a quantity of molten manganese.

1. A PROCESS FOR THE CONTINUOUS PRODUCTION OF ALUMINUM COMPRISING THESTEPS OF: INTRODUCING GASEOUS ALUMINUM TRICHLORIDE AT A BOTTOM PORTIONOF A REACTION CHAMBER, PROVIDING MANGANESE AS LIQUID IN AN UPPER PORTIONOF SAID REACTION CHAMBER, ALLOWING SAID GASEOUS ALUMINUM TRICHLORIDE TORISE AND SAID LIQUID MANGANESE TO FLOW DOWNWARDLY IN SAID REACTIONCHAMBER THEREBY PROVIDING COUNTER-CURRENT FLOW CONTACT BETWEEN SAIDALUMINUM TRICHLORIDE AND SAID MANGANESE WITHIN SAID REACTION CHAMBER,MAINTAINING AT LEAST PORTION OF SAID REACTION CHAMBER AT A TEMPERATURESUFFICIENT TO REACT THE ALUMINUM TRICHLORIDE WITH THE MANGANESE TO YIELDLIQUID ALUMINUM AND GASEOUS MANGANESE CHLORIDE, REACTING SAID ALUMINUMTRICHLORIDE GAS WITH SAID LIQUID MANGANESE TO FORM SUBSTANTIALLYMANGANESE-FREE ALUMINUM, AND RECOVERING SAID SUBSTANTIALLYMANGANESE-FREE ALUMINUM FROM SAID REACTION CHAMBER.
 2. The process inclaim 1, wherein the step of providing manganese as a liquid includesintroducing manganese as a solid at an upper portion of said reactionchamber and super-heating said solid manganese so that liquid manganeseis provided.
 3. The process in claim 1, wherein the step of introducingaluminum trichloride gas includes introducing said aluminum trichlorideat about 750*-1500*C and at the rate of between about 25-500 lbs. perminute.
 4. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of providing liquidmanganese includes spraying said liquid manganese into said reactionchamber.
 5. The process of claim 1, wherein the step of providingmanganese includes allowing the manganese to flow down the walls of saidreaction chamber.
 6. The process in claim 1 wherein the step ofproviding manganese as a liquid includes introducing manganese as aliquid at an upper portion of said reaction chamber.
 7. The process inclaim 6, wherein the step of introducing liquid manganese includesintroducing said liquid manganese at a temperature of about 1400*-1650*Cand at a rate of between about 25-300 lbs. per minute.
 8. The process inclaim 1, and further including the step of continuously extractingaluminum from a bottom portion of said reaction chamber.
 9. The processin claim 8, and further including the step of recycling a portion of theextracted aluminum back into the liquid Manganese at an upper portion ofsaid reaction chamber.
 10. The process in claim 1, and further includingthe step of withdrawing aluminum trichloride and manganese chloride as amixed vapor from said reaction chamber.
 11. The process in claim 10, andfurther including the step of condensing the manganese chloride fromsaid aluminum trichloride and manganese chloride mixed vapor.
 12. Theprocess in claim 11 and further including the step of recycling thealuminum trichloride of said mixed vapor back into the reaction chamber.13. The process in claim 1, wherein the step of providing manganeseincludes providing manganese as a liquid.
 14. The process in claim 13,wherein the step of providing manganese as a liquid in an upper portionof a reaction chamber includes the step of providing a mixture of purealuminum and manganese as said liquid.
 15. The process in claim 14,wherein said pure aluminum is provided by recycling a portion of theliquid aluminum produced in said reaction chamber.
 16. A process for thecontinuous production of aluminum, comprising the steps of: (a)providing a number of reactors in a series, each containing a quantityof molten manganese; (b) continuously introducing aluminum trichloridegas into the manganese within the first reactor in said series, saidaluminum trichloride gas reacting with said manganese; (c) maintainingat least a portion of said reactor at a temperature sufficient to reducethe aluminum trichloride to produce liquid aluminum, reacting saidaluminum trichloride gas with said liquid manganese to formsubstantially manganese-free aluminum; (d) withdrawing the resultingmanganese chloride gas and unreacted aluminum trichloride gas as amixture from said first reactor, (e) removing said unreacted aluminumtrichloride from said mixture; (f) passing said removed aluminumtrichloride into the manganese within the next reactor in said series;(g) and continuing steps (b) - (f) until the first of said reactorscontains substantially manganese-free aluminum.
 17. The process in claim16, and further including the steps of: (h) disconnecting the firstreactor in said series after the reactor contains substantiallymanganese-free aluminum; (i) repeating steps (b) - (f) exceptsubstituting the second reactor in said series for said first reactor;and (j) adding an additional reactor containing molten manganese as thelast member of said series.
 18. The process in claim 16, wherein step(a) includes providing each of said reactors with a quantity of moltenmanganese.